Creating a "mind movie" to help your trading

The Lobby
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(moderator: please move this thread if not in appropriate forum / thanks)

Have you ever heard about the concept of a “mind movie”? It is something my mentor introduced me to several years ago, an exercise I really enjoyed at the time.

The basic premise is that your subconscious mind is very powerful, and works to achieve the goals and dreams that are laid before it. The subconscious mind does not make judgments about things like our conscious mind does, so in that sense it’s kindof “dumb”. But the idea here is that you can sortof “brainwash” your subconscious mind – pre-program it with all of the goals / dreams / aspirations you have – and that it would work in harmony with your conscious mind to help you achieve those goals.

This technique of subconscious visualization is promoted in several self-help circles like The Secret. Whether or not it actually works in somewhat of a moot point – you will have fun doing the exercise, and it might just actually work :wink:

The first step is to write out a list of goals / dreams / aspirations / ideals – the way that you would visualize yourself in an ideal world. I like to put a heavy emphasis on trading specifics (since that is my primary objective to improve) but also it should incorporate bigger-picture items. These should always be stated in the affirmative.

With those affirmations, you then combine them with meaningful pictures. I will plan to get these mostly from the internet. They don’t have to be personal, just meaningful. Remember the subconscious does not make value judgments.

Then you use slideshow software to merge the affirmations with the pictures and a soundtrack that has emotional meaning to you. It is very powerful to combine these 3 items, and (supposedly) that combination is key to reaching your subconscious.

To implement the mind movie, you simply view it (like on your cellphone) first thing in the morning, and last thing before bed. Every day. The repetition, combined with that dream-like state you will be in at these times… might just be enough to brainwash yourself :slight_smile:

I’m definitely making one of these (it is actually my 2nd one, refined) – and I’ll use this thread to show you how I do it.

To start, I’ve come up with some affirmation categories that are really important to me in the bigger-picture view of my life. In each of these categories I have written specific short affirmations which will later be combined with pictures on the slideshow (I will mix them up). I may revise this list further but here is what I’ve got to start with:

TRADING:
i trade anywhere and everywhere
i make all trading decisions in the zone
i trade with absolute accuracy
i can assimilate patterns out of chaos
trading is the playground of my mind
trading is easy and logical
im disciplined to follow my trade rules
extreme simplicity is my trading style
i consistently recognize profitable patterns
trading is a natural reflex action for me
i trade consistent and responsible
i see trade setups before they develop
i project where price is moving in my head
i see price action naturally like breathing
my trading activity flows stress free
trading is calm and calculated
trading is extremely fun
trading is my reliable source of income

PHYSICAL HEALTH:
my abs are rock hard
my body is fanatically healthy
my body stays in balance
i eat only the best foods
my physique is lean and muscular
sleep is always deep and restful
my mind is calm, peaceful
i can always reach a higher physical level

MONETARY HEALTH:
i have zero debt
money is a precious resource
money lubricates for goodness
i am financially responsible
i limit risk to ensure my success
money is plentiful for everyone

LOVE LIFE:
i crave my wife constantly
life begins with love
sex is incomprehensibly delicious
soulmates forever
my wife turns me on
erotic pleasure is always waiting for me
the taste of my wife is delicious
i love my wife more than trading
a better orgasm is always waiting
my wife completes my own being
i am a sensual lover to my wife
lovemaking is deep and meaningful
i am a hopeless romantic for my wife

HOME LIFE:
i learn from my personal chef
my back yard is vast
my living room is simple
my ride is snappy fun
my winter home
my summer home
the kitchen is my huge playground
my home is a peaceful place
my home fits like a glove
i have all the time in the world
time for my family is my top priority

HAPPINESS:
adventure is in my blood
im a persistent traveler
i sip wine on the beach
jesus is my rock
life is delicious
life is exciting
life is like a slow roasted bean
life is vibrant
my kids are my adventure
my winery
nature energizes my soul
we take lots of fieldtrips
im focused on the big picture
my family is contagiously happy

GIVING BACK:
i hear the cries of the third world
i share my love
money is made to be given away
i remember those in pain
i give of my talents to others

GRATEFUL:
thank you for the wisdom I have
i am grateful for my healthy body
thank you for my wife and lover
thank you for all my children
i am grateful for my God
i am grateful that trading interests me

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Basically that’s what’s called [B]Psycho-Cybernetics[/B]. Here’s a book that has a section on it that you might find useful…

Emotion Free Trading

:slight_smile:

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Interesting project.

Everything on your list is stated in the affirmative — no doubt about that!

Is this the kind of project you can share with everyone, when it’s completed?

I’m imagining a slide-show, with images gently fading in and fading out, with some cool music in the background, and a voice (Dennis Haysbert, maybe?) reciting your affirmations.

What about dividing your slide-show into two parts, a morning part and a bedtime part?

The morning part could be lively, exciting, loud — to get your blood flowing, and make you want to take on the world.

The bedtime part could be quiet and relaxing — to get your brain ready for sleep.

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Cool beans … yes I have heard of Psycho-Cybernetics but never quite put that label on it. The idea of visualizing yourself achieving your dreams is nothing new. I would say that there is definite application for this with trading, since trading is such a psychological challenge already.

I’m going to read that whole section from the PDF – thanks!

Clint, yes I will share this project when I’m done. Actually, I was going to share it in stages as I build it. The first step is writing and revising your list of affirmations, which I have done above.

The next step is to find images that match these affirmations. Generally speaking you want 1 image per affirmation, but it can be slightly more or less. I made one of these movies before, and all the images came from images.google.com – you simply type the thought you are seeking and find an image that speaks to you. The combination of the affirmation shown overlayed on top of the meaningful image is powerful.

Dividing … hmmm… possibly. I did consider choosing two separate songs, one that would fit morning better and one for evening. I think this could only help in the long run, because constant repetition of the same song can get old.

Yes I used some software that was free (I’ll find a link) that basically took the images and gently slid them across the screen with different effects. It’s a flowing effect that you want. Once the images are there, you simply overlay the slides with the affirmations and then let the software merge it with the music.

The next step for me is to find the images. I’ll post some of them here so you can see how I choose them.

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Ok, here is an example of the type of images I look for. I had forgotten about how this process works. You will generally find a lot of abstract images that you may not know specifically which affirmation they should be married with. I gather these images anyway and after I’ve made it through the entire list of affirmations, I go back and see if some are better than others.

Here is a whole slew of images (many abstract) that can be used for the trading category. I will end up not using all of them-- only the best ones that truly speak to me. You can tell an image is great if, when viewing it, you think to yourself: “ahhhhh…”

Note: the images should not portray anything negative. For example, you don’t want an image of a harried trader or a chart that looks like it’s tanking. It must all be positive and welcoming to your mind.

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(note: generally speaking your images should not have words on them – I may not use this one for that reason)

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[B]That one[/B] is going to be tricky! — Watch out for the moderators!

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LOL – yep good point. I won’t post any images here that are “too hot” for babypips but in the actual movie, I’m not afraid to use real images that invoke real feelings in my brain.

Sex is one of the most powerful energies we have to work with as humans. And as a male, I am naturally visually stimulated. I think you can invoke those heart-racing feelings without dipping into the “porn” arena for sure (then again, what some people call “porn” I might call “art” LOL)

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By the way, here is one slideshow creator software I’m gonna try. It’s an open-source app called PhotoFilmStrip - Ken-Burns Slideshows in Full-HD | Home I like it because I’m a Linux fan and this is multi-platform.

This isn’t the one I originally used several years ago, but looks like these are a dime-a-dozen. You don’t need anything super fancy… just something that can fade pictures in and out (effects are nice btw) and also display text overlays.

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I located the software I had originally used. This one works exceptionally well for this purpose. It includes a ton of transition effects for your photos, and you can tell it to “mix it up” random. It can also automatically space your photos to fit the length of your music (very handy) and has the ability to overlay text:
Free Web Slideshow Software by CodeJam
(it’s free, but I think Windows-only on this software)

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I’m kind of looking forward to the slideshow thing now. Would you be posting it here in this thread when it’s finished?

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Yep Yep! I haven’t forgotten about this. It really is a priority, I promise! And yes I will respond back here so you can watch the mindmovie I make. I hope it will inspire you to make your own as well.

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Hey guys – I finished my mind movie. I’ve posted it here.

(I couldn’t figure out how to embed this with Babypips, not sure if they support Vimeo embedding)

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Nicely done, dusktrader.

I’ve never gotten into this sort of thing, but your mind movie has prompted me to think about it.

Obviously, a mind movie is a highly personal creation. Yours is very Christian-conservative in its theme. That theme happens to fit me, like a glove. So, I could simply use your mind movie for inspiration, rather than creating my own.

But, for some other folks, your theme, and the core beliefs that it conveys, probably would not resonate. Which simply proves that the starting point for a project such as this has to be a very individual, personal inventory of beliefs, motivations, goals and preferences. To have any value, at all, a mind movie must express the core of its creator’s being.

Well, that’s enough pop-psychology from me.

Congratulations on the completion of your project. I enjoyed it. I’ll certainly watch it again. Perhaps many times.